Albuquerque Public Schools
New APS International High School Celebrates Grand Opening
New campus focuses on leveraging diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to foster college and career readiness.
The new APS International High School campus was buzzing with excitement late last month as students, staff, family and friends gathered to celebrate the school’s opening.
APS International High School opened its doors in August, serving refugee and immigrant students in APS at the site of what had previously been the Coronado Dual Language Magnet campus Downtown. The change is part of Albuquerque Public Schools’ right-sizing effort aimed at matching educational needs to its building footprint, given significant enrollment declines in recent years.
As part of the transition, Coronado moved to the old Taft Middle School campus in the North Valley, and Taft was closed.
APS International High School’s mission is to leverage the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of students to create a collaborative, intellectually engaging and emotionally supportive community, equipping students to become independent and active members of society who are college and career-ready. Those efforts were on full display during the school’s open house on Sept. 25, as students shared their stories and aspirations with the large crowd that turned out to celebrate the milestone.
“What you should know about our school is that we are small in size, but our dreams and ambitions are so gigantic,” said Zainab Nazir, who was born in Malawi. “People at my school speak tons of different languages, and I feel like that’s so special because nobody wants to dim the light of their culture.”
Juan Perez, a 16-year-old who came to the U.S. from Cuba 21 months ago, also praised his new school. He described the teachers as kind and patient and said he loved being exposed to so many different cultures.
“I came to this school because I want to learn English, math and other subjects that will help me in my future,” he said. “I also came here because I wanted to make new friends, meet new people from different countries, and have the opportunities to have a good future.
“I want to help people and also make money to support my family,” Perez added. “I want to go to college, learning more about computers and engineering, and maybe … I can make it easier for other people.”
Among those at the event were Board President Danielle Gonzales, Board Members Josefina Dominguez and Ronalda Tome-Warito and Superintendent Gabriella Blakey. Welcoming everyone to the school were Principal Justin Trager and Refugee and Newcomer Support Program Director Antonio Baca.
Many in the audience wore blue T-shirts with the words “Here for you in any language.
“Time and time again, immigrant families have expressed that education for their children was the most important thing to them,” said Antonio Baca, director of the APS Refugee and Newcomer Support Program.
He, Superintendent Blakey and Board President Gonzales touched on the long road to making the school a reality.
“My grandparents all came to the United States as immigrants, and they instilled in us how important education is,” Dr. Blakey said. “To be able to see a school for international students in our city is really something that we are proud of. It didn’t come easy, and the road is always hard, but it’s so worth it to see all of your faces.”